The present invention relates to supports for muscularly challenged individuals and, more particularly, to a hand grip and wrist brace mounted upon a glide support for easing the movements of individuals with hypotonia, and which allows the performance of a multiplicity of tasks with fluid and graceful motion.
Individuals with muscular dystrophy and other disabling muscular ailments suffer from a condition known as hypotonia, wherein the muscles lack tone and strength. These individuals have difficulty doing the simple tasks that others take for granted, such as writing, eating, tying a shoelace, etc.
Many devices have been invented for assisting the muscularly disadvantaged individual, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,501, issued to Seppo Holtta on Dec. 24, 1991, for DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING OF THE HAND. The device of this patent comprises a series of links that pivot and rotate to provide a flexible motion for a hand of a hypotonic individual.
Another such device comprises an arm rest that is usable with a mouse pad or keyboard, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,840, issued on Oct. 22, 1991, to Moss et al, entitled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR REDUCING REPETITIVE OR MAINTAINED STRESS INJURIES. The apparatus comprises an assembly that utilizes a forearm cradle and a detachable, linear slide which is pivotal and simultaneously moveable in a straight line. The cradle has springs for counteracting against the weight of the arm resting thereupon. The arm is capable of moving up and down the keyboard, or mouse pad, in a linear direction.
One of the serious drawbacks of many of the devices used to aid these handicapped people, is an inability to provide support for doing a multiplicity of tasks. Also, many of these apparatuses are overly complex, and do not provide fluid motion. The individual is often reduced to making discoordinate motions and xe2x80x9cherky jerkyxe2x80x9d movements. Although the task may be more easily accomplished with use of these aids, the self-esteem of the user may be severely impaired with their use.
The present invention features a support device for a hypotonic person that allows the individual to perform a multiplicity of tasks with a fluid motion. The apparatus comprises an extension to which a tool or instrument for performing a task can be attached. A wrist and forearm support is attached to the top glide, and is itself supported upon a first glide member. The first glide member is moveable along an X-axis. The first glide member is itself supported upon a second glide member that is moveably supported along a Y-axis. The apparatus allows the individual to perform a given task fluidly, and move in a multi-dimensional direction with graceful ease. The fluid motion not only allows the individual to perform the task at hand, but also influences and encourages the individual to execute the job with alacrity and dispatch.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an apparatus having fluid motion for assisting muscularly disadvantaged individuals to perform a multiplicity of tasks. The apparatus comprises an extension to which a tool or instrument for performing a task can be attached. A wrist and forearm support is attached to the top glide, and is itself supported upon a first glide member. The first glide member is moveable along a first axis. The first glide member is itself supported upon a second glide member that is moveably supported along a second axis. The apparatus allows the individual to perform a given task fluidly, and move in a multi-dimensional direction with graceful ease. The fluid motion not only allows the individual to perform the task at hand, but also influences and encourages the individual to execute the job with alacrity and dispatch.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved device for a muscularly challenged individual.
It is an object of this invention to provide a support for a hypotonic individual that assists that person to a multiplicity of tasks with fluid ease.